DON'T NOD, the studio behind the recently released Aphelion and the team behind the first two Life is Strange titles, is currently looking for a way to secure its future after Tencent decided against further short-term investment in the narrative-focused studio.
Following claims made by French reporter Gauthier 'Gautoz' Andres that the studio is rapidly approaching a situation where it would be "out of cash," DON'T NOD responded to the claims in a statement sent to Game Developer.
Though the studio did not claim the situation to be as dire as Andres put it, it confirmed that Tencent had decided not to provide additional funding for the studio's next project. It added that the studio is pursuing multiple paths towards funding, though it acknowledges that finding funding in the current video game industry climate is "very challenging." It's a very different landscape from the one DON'T NOD was in five years ago, when Tencent invested €30 million into the studio.
"As disclosed in our latest financial report, the going concern statement reflects an accounting requirement and standard disclosure for listed companies under applicable reporting frameworks," DON'T NOD said in its statement to Game Developer.
"It is based on the information available at the reporting date and does not take into account the potential impact of the various financing and cash preservation initiatives currently being pursued by the company...DON'T NOD is focused on extending its cash horizon through a combination of financing initiatives, disciplined cash management and an optimized operating structure, while continuing to adapt its cost base to market conditions. At this stage, we have no further comment to add beyond the information already disclosed in the company's latest financial report."
Basically, DON'T NOD has a lot of fires going, several of which could yield a stronger and more secure future for the studio, or at the very least provide security to get its codenamed Project P14 out the door. Making video games for a living is ultimately about ensuring you can earn enough to make the next game. You can't guarantee anything beyond that.
Hopefully, we'll see DON'T NOD make it out onto the other side of this current struggling phase, and we don't have to watch yet another talented studio suffer more layoffs or, even worse, a full studio closure. It's unclear how its most recent release, Aphelion, sold, though DON'T NOD admitted that its release prior to Aphelion, Lost Records: Bloom & Rage, missed its sales expectations.
About the author: David has been writing about videogames, technology, and culture since 2020, with a focus on reporting daily news across multiple publications, including GameDaily.Biz, GameSkinny, and PlayStation Universe before joining Wccftech in 2025. David started contributing as Canada/US reporter for Wccftech's gaming section in 2025. Besides being up-to-date on the industry's movements, he loves interviewing developers, reviewing games, and writing intricate essays about the symbolism and layered meanings to be found in rich narratives as he's done for publications like GamesIndustry.Biz, LostInCult, and others. Outside of games he loves movies, music, theatre, his hometown, and his family, though not necessarily in that order.
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